Girl, 7, is bitten by a dingo on K'gari after her mother stopped to take a photo
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A seven-year-old girl has been bitten by a dingo after her mother tried to take a photo of the animal at a popular tourist spot in Queensland.
It marks the latest incident involving children and dingoes on Fraser Island, which has the indigenous name K'gari.
The girl's family was waiting in their vehicle for a ship on the island on Thursday when they spotted a dingo at the landing site.
The mother got out of the car to take a photo of the animal, but was unaware that the seven-year-old child had also gotten out.
A seven-year-old girl was bitten by a dingo after her mother tried to take a photo of the animal on Fraser Island, which has the indigenous name K'gari (stock image)
The girl became scared when the dingo approached her and ran away.
“The dingo followed and bit the girl on the thigh before people nearby chased the dingo away,” a statement from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service said.
The child will receive medical treatment once the family returns to the mainland.
Rangers are investigating the incident and attempting to identify the animal.
It was the fourth incident in weeks involving dingoes on the island.
On December 10, a five-year-old girl was bitten on the thigh after breaking away from her group and running away from a dingo at Wathumba beach.
The next day a boy was chased into the water by a dingo after running away from the animal.
A week later, a 12-year-old boy was bitten on the leg while his parents were about 10 meters away.
It was the fourth incident involving dingoes at K'gari in weeks (pictured)
A series of incidents earlier in 2023 led rangers to euthanize a dingo that had bitten a woman on the thigh while she was visiting the island.
Rangers have rejected calls to cull dingoes at K'gari, blaming visitor behavior for the spike in incidents.
QPWS has reminded people to be “dingo safe” by walking in groups, camping in fenced areas and not running on the heritage-listed island.
Children must be kept under constant supervision and within easy reach at K'gari.
QPWS said it was also important to keep all food, waste and bait locked up and never feed the animals.
The Queensland Government has invested a further $2 million this financial year to help improve public safety on K'gari.